Oh for the love of bibliteka!

I have been drowning in books. Those that know me well, understand I am not complaining...only about the deadlines that go with them. This leads me to tell you about one of the best parts (I think they all are bests, but this is very special) of the trip. Sabina's cousin; Valdas (sp?), is a professor at the University of Vilnius. This University is one of the oldest in Europe. It's history dates back to at least the 1500's possibly older. There are portions of the buildings still in use from that era!

Well he was giving us a tour & wondered if we would like to see one of the libraries. He had received permission for us to see the 2nd best library. Well of course we wanted to go. We went through this magic door:

This led to delights unimagined.

The room was exquisite; everything I think all libraries should be (such as our old central library where I USED to love to get lost & read & dream, etc.). ...and there, under that glass, and sitting
on the beautiful wood were the most amazing original books I have ever seen.

The first book I saw was by Copernicus...
the next was Optics by I. Newton! I couldn't absorb it all. How did Lithuania get all these books? So many authors, I just could not believe my eyes... Blaise Pascal, Rousseau, Kant...I asked Valdas what was in the first room, the Gutenberg Bible? He just laughed & said it would take many signatures to get in there. I amazed that the books survived so many of the wars, bombings, fires, etc.
that seems to have hurt so much of Lithuania. He said that whomever was in power, the University was an asset. It was protected. Thank goodness for that.

The book that caused me to go weak at the knees, grab on to the counter & consider breaking the glass to read was by one of my fav authors; the one, the only, Machiavelli (I have uploaded the picture of the book 3x, no luck.I will try later.) Pete had to drag me out kicking & screaming.

Sooooo it seems appropriate to end with a quote from Niccollo':
...whenever men are not obliged to fight from necessity, they fight from ambition; which is so powerful in human breasts, that it never leaves them no matter to what rank they rise...